Photo Caption: Pictured from left: Saydel Superintendent Mr. Todd A. Martin, Cornell Principal Brian Vaughan, Award Recipients Amy Austin, Sara Shafer, Kathy Erickson, Woodside Principal Joshua Heyer, Saydel High School Principal Kevin Schulte, and Saydel Board President Brian Bowman. Not pictured is Molly Fritz.

Saydel Honors Eagle High Flyer Employees

The Saydel School Board of Directors has honored recipients of the Saydel Employee High Flyer Program. Employees were honored for their efforts in improving student achievement, maximizing resources, demonstrating innovation, and enhancing culture, image and relationships at Saydel Schools. Each recipient received a plaque and gift card from the program sponsor, Affinity Credit Union. Employees honored were Amy Austin, Kathy Erickson, Molly Fritz, and Sara Shafer.

Amy Austin has worked for Saydel Schools for five years and she teaches US History and psychology at Saydel High School. Currently Amy teaches five US History classes to freshman students and one psychology class to a mixed group of students in ninth through twelfth grade. In between classes, Amy meets with her fellow teachers and co-workers, chats with students about their lives, and constantly thinks about how to make the next day’s lessons even better.

“No day is exactly the same given the unpredictable nature of young people, but that is what keeps me on my toes,” said Amy. “ As a teacher, we get the chance to get to know our students and develop meaningful relationships with them which makes teaching a true privilege.”

Amy has strong classroom management, worth ethic, and dedication to helping students learn. This can be seen in Amy’s drive to plan and develop new, engaging lessons to improve student learning. Additionally, she genuinely cares about the students and puts forth great effort in helping them succeed in school and life. Amy is willing to go the extra mile to ensure student success. These relationships and skills are why students respect her and work hard for her.

When asked to identify a favorite part of her job as a teacher, Amy said, ‘I enjoy the people at Saydel High School the most. Great schools cannot exist without great students, teachers, administrators, and staff members and we are lucky to have this combination at Saydel High School. The example set by the hard working teachers at Saydel to improve student learning experiences is inspiring and touching to witness each day.”

In her free time, Amy enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her dogs. You’ll often find her attending sporting events, traveling, spoiling her nieces and nephews, swimming, reading and listening to books. Amy and her husband, Aaron, live in West Des Moines.

Kathy Erickson has taught at Saydel Schools for over eight years. As the Woodside Middle School counselor, Kathy spends her school days teaching eighth grade life skills classes, meeting with teachers, parents and support staff to help plan for kids’ success, contacting outside resources who help with mental health concerns and/or college and career readiness, and working with students to help work through problems, big and small.

According to Kathy, middle school students are the most interesting people in the world. She said, “My favorite part of my job is the kids. They fluctuate from looking at the world like adults to behaving like children, usually several times within a day. Everything is bigger in middle school because they feel things so intensely. They can be incredibly insightful and honest, which makes for some hilarious moments as well as some heartbreaking ones.”

Kathy has a profound impact on the success of Woodside Middle School. Her ability to help students navigate through challenging situations allows the students to quickly re-focus on learning. Kathy provides useful coping strategies to a number of students which helps them in the classroom. She is also one of the most positive people in the building. Her outlook on school enhances the school’s climate and culture on a daily basis. Kathy is the glue that keeps the building afloat during challenging days.

When asked what one thing would surprise someone who had to walk in her shoes for a day, Kathy answered, “I think people would be surprised that middle school kids can be so open and willing to talk. People assume teens are so reticent and moody, but given an opportunity to share their thoughts without anyone judging them, they are pretty excited to have someone listen.”

Kathy hobbies include reading, going to movies and watching sports. She is married to her husband, John, and they have a son, Evan, who will go to high school next year. Kathy grew up in Des Moines and is lucky to live minutes away from her parents.

Molly Fritz has worked at Saydel Schools for three years. She teaches second grade at Cornell Elementary School. A typical day for Molly at school begins with morning meeting. The rest of her morning is spent teaching reading and doing phonics. After lunch, she teaches writing and the students have specials. The day ends with a planning period and then teaching math.

“My favorite part of teaching is watching students achieve their goals,” said Molly. “Their faces light up and you can tell they feel really proud of themselves.”

Molly loves to make relationships with students even if they are not in her class. She also works hard to ensure that all students can be successful. Molly uses data on a regular basis to monitor and adjust instruction, and she goes above and beyond with curriculum resources. Molly continually does research and takes the time to create and find resources to support student learning.

In her free time, Molly loves to facilitate the Girls on the Run Club, watch reality television, go out to dinner, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband Clayton live in Grimes.

Sara Shafer has worked for Saydel Schools for the past four years. She currently works as a special education associate in a level 3 classroom at Woodside Middle School. Sara’s days are never the same. She said, “While we try to follow lesson plans, sometimes our students have a different idea. It may not have been what was planned, but there is always a lesson.”

Sara has been a great teacher associate by helping in Woodside’s Level 3 program. Her ability to understand behavior plans and work as a team has allowed students to make significant gains not only socially and emotionally but also academically. Sara works each day to its fullest, does the little things and asks for little in return. Sara truly makes a difference at Woodside when it comes to improving student achievement.

When asked what one thing would surprise someone who had to walk in her shoes for a day, Sara answered, “We spend a lot of time laughing and learning as much as we teach. And bonds that we make not only with our students but with our colleagues are incredible.”

Married to her husband, Brent, Sara loves to craft in her free time. She also loves spending time with their children and grandchildren.

The next Saydel Eagle High Flyer Employee Awards will be announced during first semester of the 2019-2020 school year.